Remember Me
by ALittlePieceOfCherryPie
Summary: Years after Breaking Dawn. Nessie has grown and is best friends with Jacob with a possible blossoming romance. What happens when that is taken from her. Will love be strong enough to help her remember? Or will Nessie be lost to another life forever?
1. Chapter 1: So much for a happy ending

**Hey there,**

**So...I haven't written in quite some time. I'm not sure if I have anymore readers anymore. HaHa. But if you guys stuck around, I'm sorry about deleting my Robsten stories. I've explained it to some of you, and some of you got the little note just before I deleted them, but basically I just couldn't do it anymore. I felt wrong writing about real people. I also had that story Midnight Glow up. Reason I deleted that was because...well, I didn't really like it and I had no idea where it was going. I wrote it a while back and, boy, was my grammar a fail. Anyway, enough blabber from me. Here's to a new, fresh story that I can hopefully finnish without failing you guys, again. :P**

**Rated M for some swearing and possible future chapters ;)**

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_**Nessie**_

"You ready?" Jacob asked.

"Mhmm." I hummed.

"Ok, here I come!" He growled playfully.

I held my breath, perched in the tree branch above the flowery meadow where my best friend, Jacob Black, was standing.

"You can't hide in the trees! It's cheating!" He complained.

"Quit your whining. I can so. You just have to guess which tree it is." I challenged him.

He sighed in mock frustration and squinted above him. I slid behind the trunk, sticking to it as he neared the set of trees around me.

"I know I'm getting closer." He laughed.

I didn't say anything.

Suddenly his footsteps stopped crunching on the leaves and the grass and everything went quiet. Just as I was about to look back around into the meadow, a large bang came from the tree trunk I was holding and the vibrations shook right up to the top. Despite being half vampire, I inherit slight clumsiness from my mothers human qualities. I gasped and slipped onto a thin branch, hugging it tightly.

"Jake!" I groaned.

He laughed and shook the tree once more. I squealed as the tree branch jiggled around and I stayed on it. It was like being on a ride at an amusement park.

I decided on my revenge. Slowly, I slid to the end of the branch, peering down at the top of his head.

_3, 2, 1. _I counted in my head before jumping from the tree and quickly, at vampire speed, landing down behind him and cupping my hands over his eyes.

He yelped in shock and I giggled as I jumped on his back whilst he stumbled backwards.

By looking at as, you would think all we'd want to do is sit on computers and listen to iPods because of our teenage looking bodies. But, no, Jake and I had the energy of 5 year olds. Typical teenage crap bored me. I wanted adventure and excitement and, as far as I could tell, so did Jake.

I was 15 years old, although my body looked 18. My brain was much older though, which was maybe why practical stuff didn't intrest me.

Jacob hadn't appeared to age either, although he was not exactly immortal like a vampire. I knew he had the ability to age like a human if he wanted to, Sam had, but so far Jake was still...Jake. He still had his young face, which was quite defined and masculine, but still had innocent qualities about it. His body was the most muscular and tall body I'd ever seen, but I knew that was because of him being a wolf. By looking at Jake, you'd guess he was anywhere between 18 to 25, but he'd been around a little longer than that.

"Run like the wind bullseye!" I squealed, keeping my hands in front of his eyes.

"I don't have any eyes!" He screamed, running around in circles as we laughed.

"Use your nose!" I said.

He got down on all fours and pretended to sniff like a dog as I stayed latched on his back. As we returned to the meadow he got a nose full of flowers and they must have itched because he raised his shoulders, scrunching up his nose.

"Ahhh...Ahhh..." A sneeze was coming.

"Oh no!" I screamed.

"ACHOO!" He sneezed and I rolled over his head landing on my back beneath his face purposefully.

"Silly horse! You made me fall off! I demand and new one!" I played.

He laughed. "Daddy! I want a pony!" He mocked in a British accent.

I giggled and then sighed, sitting up and turning around to face him.

"Jake?" I asked.

"Mmm?" He responded, sniffing from his sneeze.

"What's school like?" I asked curiously.

He looked up like he was thinking about it properly before looking at me again. "It's shit."

"Come on! It can't be that bad!"

"Mmm, I guess when you go to school from when you are about 5, it gets old and boring."

I bit my lip. "I'm thinking about going. Just for a few years, obviously. Like my family sometimes do."

"You'd have to move a lot. People would notice if you stayed."

I shrugged.

"We do now anyway. Hey, I think we should buy a house. We could be roommates! And we could visit Mom and Dad from time to time wherever they are if we don't move at the same time as them. And Grandpa, of course, in Forks. And Billy and Rachel in La Push. Like we do now. But we'd have to make sure no townspeople saw us, otherwise they'd be like '_Hey, why aren't you ageing_?', and about that, do other Quileutes get suspicious of me when we visit, do they think I'm a vampire? Well, I half am but-"

He placed a finger to my lips, laughing. "Shhh, talk slower, Ness. It's not like you're ever gonna run out of time."

I blushed faintly in my already rosy cheeks, holding a hand to my forehead. "Sorry, I gotta learn to stop doing that. I think I get it from Alice."

He nodded, laughing more.

"Shut up." I whacked him playfully on the chest.

We both lay down on the grass and looked up at the sky, not speaking, just watching, and listening with all of our senses. At least I was. I loved to do it. If I concentrated hard enough, I could hear every insect, every bird and tree rustle. It wasn't as noisy as you'd think either. It was like a little symphony of nature. The breeze topped it off too, adding it's rhythm to the song. I could smell things too. I loved the smell out here, natural, fresh.

After a little while, Jake spoke. "Nessie?" He asked, sounding nervous.

"Mmm?" I looked over at him.

"There's something I have to tell you." He said, his voice serious now as he sat up.

I cleared my throat, sitting up straight too.

I wondered what it was, instantly trying to guess and worrying myself with endless possibilities.

The worst being that he'd imprinted on somebody. It wasn't that I had romantic feelings for him, I didn't think so anyway, but if he'd imprinted it would mean him leaving me in a way. He would move wherever the girl moved, and I'd gotten so used to him staying with us. He would decide to...age. And then he'd eventually die, while I stayed frozen in time, forever...without him. I didn't want to lose my best friend. Not ever, if I could help it.

My heart rate accelerated a little. Shit, he would notice that.

"You know about...imprinting?" He asked.

A lump appeared in my throat and I tried to gulp it down as I nodded, not being successful just like with hiding my nervous state.

He seemed nervous too, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath.

"I think it's time...I told you..."

Told me what? Told me what! He couldn't leave me hanging like this.

He opened his eyes, his lips parting as they looked straight into mine. It seemed to take a lifetime before he finally spoke.

"You're the one I imprinted on."

If it were possible for me to die from a heart attack, then I probably would've just then.

"What!" I said, a little too loudly, making me sound angry.

"Shit." He breathed shakily. "I knew...I shouldn't have told you..I'm sorry...I can't help who I...you're my... You don't have to...want me back now...or ever. I'll just always be here."

I placed a finger to his lips, similar to the way he had to mine earlier on.

"Just...you...shut up." I said, not being able to help my wide smile.

He looked at me confused. "You're not mad? Confused? Upset?"

I was lost for words, that's what I was. "I'm...I'm so...relieved!"

"Relieved?"

"I didn't want to lose you, Jake. Never. I wanted to be selfish and have you in my life, forever." I confessed.

He smiled a small smile. "Now you know you will."

"Exactly!" I smiled, cupping his face in my hands.

I could hear both of our heartbeats racing inside our chests, mine a slight, fluttering faster than his. His breathing was shaky and I wanted to calm it, to soothe him. The smiled on my face almost matched his, although his was still a little in shock. A strange urge then shuddered through me, unnoticeably. I'd never felt it before, ever. My lips tingled and my eyes glanced at Jakes mouth.

My body felt cold, it needed warmth that I could not provide for it myself.

Slowly, I brought my face to his, our mouths moving closer.

Then, suddenly, something made me stop although I badly wanted to continue my action.

A smell surrounded us, it was a thick smell that I could almost taste too. I could feel it crackling in my lungs. I knew what it was, but I'd never smelt it this intensely before. It also had a strange twinge to it that I could not place my finger on.

I moved slightly back from his face. "Do you smell smoke?" I whispered.

Jake looked to the side, his nostrils flinching a little as he sniffed before turning back to me with furrowed, worried eyebrows, nodding.

I quickly stood up, looking to the sky, turning around in a semi-circle before stopping as I saw the grey clouds faintly appearing in the sky. Their thick, darkness noticeable against the white of the skys clouds.

I recognised where it was coming from and a gasp escaped me before I dashed into the woods.

I could feel my body trembling as I ran faster then I'd ever ran before. Worried tears welled in my eyes as I fought against the worst doubts in my mind. I heard Jacob running a few feet behind me in wolf form.

Please don't be what I think it is. Please don't be what I think it is...

I turned into the long, spiralling driveway to the Cullen family home, my vision already clouded by a faint grey smoke.

A crackling noise rang in my ears, sounding closer than it actually was because of my sensitive hearing.

I knew what I'd been worried about was now confirmed but I couldn't stop...I couldn't. I kept telling myself that maybe it was a dream, I just had to keep running.

I stopped outside the flaming house, falling to my knees as I caught my breath. I'd never run like that before and I'd actually gotten breathless. This was not a dream.

"No..." I breathed. "No!" I screamed louder tears falling from my eyes.

"Who did...No!" I sobbed.

Maybe I could still save them, vampires don't burn instantly, right?

I stood up, forcing my feet to move. Just as I was about to make a run for the flames, two large arms grabbed me from behind, holding me back.

"No, you're not going in there!" Jake cried.

"They're my family! They're your family! I have to!" I sobbed.

I wanted to fight, I wanted to push Jacob off me and run on in there, not caring if I died in the process as long as I saved at least someone, but I knew it was hopeless.

I turned to Jake, noticing tears in his eyes too.

"They're okay, right!" I cried. "Vampires don't burn instantly?"

He looked as if he wanted to lie and make me feel better but he looked down, picking me up and running me away from the smoke.

We stopped running about a mile from the scene. My face was now expressionless. I was too numb to cry.

Jake and I were dripping with sweat from the heat of the fire.

"Put me down." I said blankly.

Jake placed my feet on the ground and I began to walk. I don't know where I was going, I just kept walking, dragging my feet along the ground.

Suddenly, I collapsed. My feet just collapsed. I didn't argue with them to get back up either. I just stayed there, gripping my chest as I sobbed into the ground.

"It's not true. Tell me it's not true!" I cried.

Jacob came up behind me and sat down, pulling me up into his arms as I sobbed into his chest. "I don't...I don't understand. Everything was so happy and then..just like that!...This can't happen! It's not...who would do this! They're gone! They can't be gone! They can't be, Jake! They can't be gone! It's not happening! This isn't happening!" I cried over and over again, gripping my hair as I rocked back and forth in his lap.

He stroked my hair, holding me tightly as I sobbed and screamed repetitively into his chest.

"It hurts!" I sobbed. "Stop it hurting! I can't...it hurts!" I gripped my chest so tightly I thought I would split in half. My heart tightened in my chest and I felt like I couldn't breathe as my lungs shrank into nothing. A sharp pain pierced through my chest and felt like a knife splitting all my insides open.

"We can stop that pain. Make you forget, everything." A dark, child's voice came from somewhere in the trees.

I looked up, as did Jake.

I quietened my sobs, still holding onto my chest to keep it together but also grabbing onto Jake with my hand.

I gasped and Jake gripped me tighter as a small, blond child with red eyes appeared in front of us wearing a dark hood. I instantly recognised the face. Jane. I'd only ever seen her once, and I'd been less than a year old, but I remembered.

It processed quickly in my mind that she was here, and she knew why I was crying, just as my families home burnt to the ground.

"You." I growled angrily before going to stand up and pounce on her. I wanted to rip her apart. I didn't care if she appeared in a child's body, she was an ancient, evil monster. As far as I was concerned, she killed my family.

Jake grabbed my arm and pulled me back, standing in front of me. "Don't." He warned me, looking at me intensely before turning back to the demon.

"Smart move from the dog!" She said, widening her eyes slightly in mock surprise. "You knew what I was going to do to her if she tried anything, didn't you?" She said, her red eyes shifting behind Jake and glinting darkly at me.

"You killed them!" I snarled, struggling against Jakes arms that were pulled behind him, holding me back.

She let out a small laugh. "That's a rather serious accusation, Renesmee. Are you sure it's true?"

I glared at her.

"What do you want?" Jake asked, his tone dark and serious.

Two more dark, hooded figures appeared beside Jane. I remembered them too. Caius and Felix.

"What do you think we want? Don't play dumb." Caius smiled wickedly at Jacob before flickering his glance to me.

"Don't even think about it." Jake growled, holding me to his back tighter. "I'll die before I let anything happen to her."

"That can be arranged." Felix said, stepping forward.

"No!" I shrieked, finally finding the strength to break free of Jacobs grip and racing in front of him, holding my arms out.

"Felix. You know Aro's plans for these two. He was very clear." Jane said, her eyes glancing up at him.

"Wait. You killed my family just so I would come join your stupid clan! You fucking killed them!" My voice rose before Jacob threw me behind him again.

"Maybe." Jane said, no expression on her face, giving me no clue. But her answer gave me an inkling of hope, of dreaming, that they were still alive.

"We have a question for you. Your answer will determine your future with us. Will you willingly come with us? Aro demands it. And what Aro demands, Aro usually gets." She said.

"No!" I shot back instantly. "Of course not! Are you kidding me! Why would I!"

"We figured since your family is dead, then there was hope you would."

"No." I said through my teeth. "Never."

"Very well then." She sighed. "Nahuel." She called.

What? Nahuel? Nahuel was my friend...why would he be helping them?

A hand gripped my forehead, pulling me back. Another arm slinked around my waist, holding me closer to my captor.

Jacob spun around. "Get your fucking hands off her." He growled.

"Goodbye, Renesmee." Said Jane. "Forever."

A sensation shot through my skull as Nahuel's, I assumed they were his anyway, fingers pressed down on my forehead. I heard an ear piercing screech escape from my mouth as pain sparked from his fingertips and it felt as if things were being ripped from my...my mind. Memories and thoughts, feelings and secrets, they all unlocked and flashed before my eyes as if they were on a projector, before they disappeared into somewhere unknown. Some hidden compartment in my brain. I could feel it all happening.

And then everything shut down. Everything was black.

_**Jacob**_

"No!" I screamed as Nessie's body jolted with some kind of shock as soon as Nahuel pressed his fingers to her forehead. She released a screech and then her body began to tremble.

I went forward, only to be held back by Felix, the largest of the three Volturi.

He held a knife near my throat. "You see this? Venom blade. You want that slicing your skin and getting into your bloodstream, doggy boy?"

"What are you doing to her!" I demanded.

"Let's just say, we're getting rid of Renesmee...as you know her." He said darkly.

Everything had been so perfect today. I finally told her. And then, all in the blink of an eye, it was turning to one big nightmare. I swore, if there was a God, that he loved to play with my life and watch me suffer. No love for Jacob, just bring him pain. No, wait! Better idea! Snap it up from under him just when he thinks he's got it! That'll hurt him good!

I eyed the knife, there was no way I could struggle without getting cut, and I had to stay alive for Nessie. I needed to save her, somehow.

"What about me? Huh? What are you going to do to me?" I growled.

"Well, we wanted to kill you. But Aro has...other plans, lucky for you. He doesn't like to kill either. Not much anyway." He explained. I couldn't take my eyes off Nessie's spasming body. The sight wrenched my heart and I had the strongest urge to kill everyone here and race her out of harms way, forever. They'd already hurt her enough by what they may or may not have done to her family. To Bella, my other best friend apart from Nessie.

"And what might those plans be, you cold bastard?" I asked.

Those words seemed to piss him off but he answered me eventually.

"You have to do everything she says, am I right?" He asked, pointing in Nessie's direction with the knife.

"How do you know that?"

"I did my homework. What's it called again?...Imprinting. That's it. You _imprinted_ on Renesmee. Which means you have to do anything,_ be_ anything for her. _Anything _she demands out of you. You have to do it." He said.

I gulped. "And? What does this have to do with anything?"

"You'll find out." He chuckled darkly.

Nessie's body had collapsed to the ground as Nahuel picked her up.

"I thought you were her friend!" I yelled at him as he looked up at us. He didn't say anything, looking down as he walked past us with her body. I heard her faint breathing and let a small breath of relief out that she was still alive.

Felix pulled the knife from underneath my chin and placed it in his coat pocket.

"Hope you don't get seasick. Here's something to calm the nerves incase you are." He said before jabbing a needle into my arm.

"Ow! What was that!" I yelled.

"Something to get you off _my_ nerves for a few hours." He hissed as everything around me went blurry, my hearing cut out, and then there was blackness.

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**Hmmmm, are you enjoying it yet? I know it's kind of rushed. Too rushed? I just wanted to get into the story, I guess. I got excited, hehe. Also, don't get too upset yet, there's still debate over whether or not the Cullen's are actually dead. Did The Volturi fake their death? I'll leave you guys hanging on that one ;)**

**Also, I wrote this whole chapter all in one night so sorry if it's kind of crappy, I just couldn't stop writing.**

**I don't know, leave me reviews letting me know what you thought.**

**-Tay**


	2. Chapter 2: Charlotte

**Hey again!**

**Um, I don't really have that much to say, haha. Sorry it took me a while to upload this next chapter, I've been a little busy as of late. But anyway, enjoy!**

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_**Jacob**_

It's been nearly a whole month since the day Nessie was taken from me, and I became prisoner to a world I despised with every last inch of myself. The only good thing about it had been the Cullens and Nessie, and now they were gone.

I was in a cage, literally, mentally and emotionally. The Volturi had trapped me in their prison amongst rogue vampires and frightened humans to be used as food for those rogue vampires if they cooperated. I was thankful I at least had my own cell.

The noises echoing the halls of the jail, especially at night, would probably haunt me forever.

Hisses and snarls rang from the walls, frightened sobs of humans as they cowered in the corners of their cells. Then, the worst of all, the sound that chilled me to the bone despite my 108 degrees body heat. The sound of the humans being attacked by the vicious bloodsuckers. I'd heard vampires feed before but these vampires were starved and angry and criminal, they tortured the humans, ripped parts off them, dug their teeth viciously into veins. The screams of the humans, I'd never heard something alike before. Even in horror movies when people are being killed, it's nothing like reality. In reality they're so much louder and fear drips from every one, the screams beg for mercy that will never be given and then as that last inch of hope fades the screams turn into painful sobs and then, eventually, nothing.

Even though I could heal fast, my body ached with emptiness. That was something that couldn't heal, ever. I'd seen Nessie twice since I awoke inside the walls of the Volturi palace. But the thing was, it wasn't her. As far as she was concerned, her name was Charlotte and she'd been taken in by Aro after an accident she was still 'recovering' from. That was the explanation she'd been given to why she couldn't remember anything. They used Nahuel as a familiarity to have there, to gain their trust. But she still didn't remember. She looked at me like I was a stranger and it hurt.

I couldn't tell what they were up to, and what they were gaining from this. It just seemed like one huge experiment with no real outcome. So far they'd only tested her control over me. Getting her to command me to do things, but only small things like 'sit, stand, dance like a chicken', but I feared they'd get larger and they'd ask her to make me do some things I would hate myself for.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a cool, damp sensation washing over my skin, blurring my eyes and choking me. I sat up quickly, coughing up the water that'd just been poured into my throat and shook it from my hair.

"You look like you needed a bath." Chuckled a dark voice. I peered up to see a tall Felix smirking at me.

"Bastard." I choked, my voice scratchy from the water.

I'd mostly given up struggling and fighting with my captors. I'd accepted there was no way out. The cages were made of...God knows what, but they were strong enough to contain the vampires and I.

"And I had to get you cleaned up to see your girlfriend." He said.

That perked me up a little though. I enjoyed seeing her, even if it wasn't the same. "Nessie's coming down today?"

He snickered. "_Nessie's coming down today?_" He mocked me. "Yes, Charlotte's coming down today."

A shudder was sent down my spine, I hated when they called her that. It wasn't right to me.

Felix left after a few more minutes of giving me shit, after he got bored.

The only member of The Volturi I hadn't seen so far was the one who seemed to be the leader all those years ago. Aro.

Either he was a coward or some scandalous business was going on amongst the clan. I wish I knew which one was true.

_**Nessie (Charlotte)**_

I studied my face in the antique wooden mirror in the room Aro had supplied for me. I couldn't remember what the difference was between a small room and a large room or between rich and poor, but something in my memory just let me know that this room was large and expensive.

The bed had a white, floral headboard made from metal and the covers had a floral pattern on them too. The room was decorated with paintings and a wooden closet with antique handles.

I blinked my chocolate brown eyes curiously at my reflection. How did I get them? Who were my parents? I knew I wasn't human, but I wasn't completely vampire either. I had _brown_ eyes. Not crimson like everyone else here. Except for Nahuel, his were Teal. He was like me. But how? Why? I had so many questions, but I restrained myself from asking them. Something made me scared to.

I looked down, stroking the creases down in my dress. A sudden breeze let me know someone was behind me and I looked up, un-phased, to see Alec looking at my reflection with me. His crimson eyes stared at me and his mouth wore a slight smirk as he placed is hands on my shoulders.

"Hi." I smiled.

He responded with a kiss on my neck, moving his hands down around my waist.

I was used to this kind of affection now. It felt slightly...awkward? Although according to Alec it was normal. The two strongest addictions in vampires were thirst and lust. I suppose it did feel rather nice when he touched me, and I craved more...but not from him. I craved someone who I don't think even existed, they were fantasy, made up. So I made do with his affections, even though they would never fully satisfy me.

He bit down on my neck slightly and I sighed in pleasure. His hands moved higher and I looked at him through my eyelashes seductively in the mirror. His red eyes sparkled with lust before he spun me around into the dresser, knocking things off as I moved back onto it, wrapping my legs around his waist as we kissed. I think I just saw an antique necklace fall off, shit. I didn't really care for anything in these moments, my impulses took control and an animalistic sense washed over me, hungry and lustful. I felt out of control, but it was better that way. If I let myself be too aware of my actions, it felt wrong for reasons I hadn't figured out yet. So I just pretended I was a dumb animal who only cared about the hunt and the mate, and I truly felt like it sometimes. I shut off all emotions, it made things easier. Made me question less and just go with it. But I couldn't always shut it off. At night, when I slept and dreamt, my thoughts screamed at me, emptiness shook through my whole body and the pin point of the pain was right in the center of my chest. My thoughts didn't even scream proper words at me, just feelings and incoherent sentences...memories...

Alec's hands gripped and tore at the fabric of my dress, exposing patches of skin everywhere which his granite, cold hands grasped even tighter. I winced in pain, but I told myself pain was good...pain reminded me of...

I shut off the thoughts and twisted my hands in Alec's soft, black hair, biting at his full, bottom lip as he lay us down further on the dresser. Something stuck into my back, but was eventually crushed under the weight of us both. Just as his hand slid up my leg and neared my inner thigh the door opened and we both turned towards it in our compromising position.

Nahuel walked into the room, glancing at me with a sad look and then glaring at Alec.

"Can I please speak with Charlotte?" He spoke coldly, before adding. "Alone."

I raised an eyebrow at him, annoyed that he'd interrupted the pleasure, but curious.

"Can't you see we're in the middle of something?" Alec growled, annoyed.

I lifted myself up only to be held down by Alec.

"No, it's okay." I murmured, trying to push myself up again.

He grabbed my neck, pushing me against the mirror. "Stay." He snarled.

Alec could be a dick sometimes.

"You heard her. Get off." Naheul said sternly.

"You heard me. Get out." Alec hissed back.

I forcefully pushed Alec off me and snarled. "Later."

His red eyes bore into mine before he gave me a quick kiss, biting my lip as he pulled back, giving my ass a tight squeeze.

He brushed past Nahuel, hard, as he walked out of the room. Nahuel seemed to stay grounded though, only shifting back slightly, still glaring right at Alec.

I pulled my dress down, wiping my lips as I walked to my closet to get something else to wear. Alec had basically ripped this to shreds.

"Cockblocker." I laughed as Nahuel closed the door on Alec.

"You shouldn't let him take advantage of you like that." He sighed, perching himself on the end of my bed.

"Like what? He's not, I let him do it. I want to." I said, unsure if I was telling the exact truth.

Nahuel paused, looking down as I threw my dress off, leaving me in my underwear. "He treats you like shit."

I grabbed a nice pair of denim shorts and threw them on the bed, looking around for a top.

"He just has...anger issues. He's not that bad." I explained, grabbing a grey pullover and walking over the bed, having no shame that I was in my underwear. I'd gotten used to being sexual, I knew I had control with my body.

"Why does it bother you so much?" I teased him, placing my hands on his shoulders as I leant down. My cleavage was basically staring him right in the face.

He looked to the side. Such a gentleman.

"Are you jealous?" I whispered, leaning in closer to his face.

He cleared his throat and I ruffled his hair as I leant back.

"Nah, let me ask you a question." I began, sliding the shorts up my legs.

He didn't respond, letting me go on. "Have you ever gotten laid?" I raised an eyebrow at him, biting my lip.

"Yeah, I've been alive for centuries. Of course I have. I just don't feel comfortable using _you_ like that." He replied.

I believed him, nodding, before I put one knee next to his lap.

"But it wouldn't be using _me_. We'd be using each other. It would be fun!" I tried to seduce him, gripping his hair in my fingers and pulling his face up to look at me.

"There are things I can't explain N...Charlotte." He stuttered.

I gasped in mock hurt. "You nearly mistook me for someone else. Should I be jealous?"

I giggled, hopping off his lap and reaching for my shirt.

"They want you to see the prisoner again today." He informed me.

I paused. The prisoner? The one who was neither human nor vampire, who wasn't even like me and Nahuel. They hadn't even told me his name yet. They just said to call him 'Dog'. It felt wrong and degrading to him, so I tried to use it as little as possible. He was handsome, with russet skin, deep brown eyes and jet black hair. He never wore a shirt, just a shredded pair of denim jeans. Something about his face made me feel...safe. I could trust him. That was stupid, right? He was a prisoner. He had obviously defied the laws of this world somehow, why should I trust someone who hates my family? But they weren't even really my family...just my household. My clan...barely. He just intrigued me. He did whatever I said. I had a power over him. Not just power with my body, like with others. An actual power, it was as if we connected with our minds. Why? Why only him?

They'd only asked me to ask him miniscule things so far. I guess as a test. I didn't even know what they were hoping to get out of it. Entertainment? Information? Once again, all these questions but no one to ask. Nahuel was the only other one I trusted completely, but every time I asked him something he looked away. He couldn't look me in the eye, he became nervous and made up an excuse to go somewhere else.

"They do?" I asked, considering maybe wearing something nicer. Why did I want to impress the prisoner?

I bit my lip, sighing and pulling the grey shirt over my head anyway. It would do. I just wanted to see him.

My heart began to flutter and beat faster in my chest as I was escorted down the stairs, into the dungeons.

Something about this whole process made me nervous. I had control over him, but I didn't like it. I didn't like to hurt him. I didn't like treating him like prisoner, when really, he felt equal to me.

Felix led Nahuel and I down the dark hallway of metal cages. I didn't jump anymore, like I had the first time, when vampires sprung against their cages, hissing their bloodstained teeth at us, their red eyes full of anger. Vampires didn't like to feel powerless. I knew they wouldn't hesitate to kill us if they could get their hands on us.

I kept my eyes down as we walked past the cages of sobbing humans. Some begged at me directly.

"Please. I know you're not like the others. You have good in you. _Help us._" One whispered. I couldn't see their face but I could hear it was a women, possibly in her 20s.

A strange feeling swirled in my stomach and I tried my best to ignore the pleas._ They were human. They were food._ I had to keep telling myself this until I got used to it, everyone else had.

Finally we reached the last cell, _his _cell.

"Wakey, wakey, doggy boy." Felix laughed, tapping at one of the poles.

I heard a shift in the shadows, my eyes instantly fixating there, waiting.

"Charlotte." Felix spoke my name.

I sighed through my nose quietly. "Come out, please." I commanded.

My hand slid down to my wrist as I saw his face. It was a set reaction, I couldn't help it. I didn't know why. It felt as if something was missing there, on my arm, when I saw his face.

His brown eyes glinted at me, sad and empty.

I glanced to the side, gulping the lump in my throat.

They'd told me to give him the usual commands first off, then they'd tell me some more later.

I looked back at him, freezing my eyes over with a professional, cold stare.

"Kneel." I ordered.

He dropped to his knees, letting out a small defeated breath which stung my heart.

"How're you managing?" I asked, my voice sounding like stone. I hated it. But I had to. It was the only way.

"Fine, thank you...Charlotte." He seemed to have difficulty saying my name.

Felix opened a gap in the cage and slid a water bowel through. I wanted the prisoner to fight.

_Fight, God dammit! Get out of there while you have your chance!_

My head screamed.

My hope was crushed into a thousand tiny pieces as the gap was closed.

Felix nudged me, reminding me what to say.

No...I didn't want to say this one. I couldn't...

"Say it." Felix pressed.

_Why should I? _ I argued in my head, too cowardly to say it aloud.

"May I remind you who saved you. Not him. He was involved in your accident. You would remember if it wasn't for him!" Felix hissed.

I still refused to believe this story, but the thought of it angered me. Why had he made me forget? No...he hadn't...I didn't know...he did look familiar...but not in a way that frightened me...not at all.

"Drink." I said sternly, causing the prisoner to drop on his hands and lap at the water in the bowel. I felt sick for making him do this. It wasn't right. No one should have to be treated like this.

After he'd ended up spluttering on the water a 4th time Felix told me I could stop him.

Then came the command I hadn't planned on.

Felix brought something out of his pocket, wrapped in cloth, and slid it into the cage. The prisoner curiously pulled the cloth from the object and a small gasp escaped me as I realised what it was.

"What?..." I breathed at Felix, looking to Nahuel for help. He wasn't looking me in the eye, once again, and Felix just glared at me.

The prisoner looked frightened, but as if they were staying strong. That was something I admired about him, something that intrigued me. He always stayed strong, no matter how much hope we stripped from him, something made him bounce back.

"This is just a test, to see how much you can push him to do. Relax, we're not going to kill him. Yet." Felix said, so calmly. It made me want to rip his throat out.

My breathing was shaky, but I tried my best to hide it. To keep my face composed.

"Tell him to cut his arm." Felix hissed.

"No." I shocked myself by saying straight away.

Felix slammed me up against the cage, causing the prisoner to snarl. "Get your hands off her!"

Why did he care so much? Why? Why? Why? So many questions.

"You want to know the _truth_?" Felix hissed louder, his venom spraying in my face. "Think back. _Fire. _Your family, killed. Now does the name _Jacob_ sound familiar?"

A piercing noise rang through my skull and a flashing of fire and pain in my chest jolted through me. Then the prisoners face. Was it true? He was involved in me forgetting? Killed my...my family?

I wanted to refuse to believe it, but the memories boiled anger inside of me and I acted on instinct, like an angry beast.

I gripped the poles and glared at the prisoner who's name I now knew, Jacob, hissing as I bared my teeth.

"No. Don't believe them Nessie, you know it's not true!"

_Nessie..._

My skull hurt again at the name but nothing came to me.

"Drag that knife across your arm!" I yelled, an internal battle going on inside me.

Tears glistened in his eyes and he shakily gripped the knife, pressing it down across his skin. He winced in pain as blood poured out of the cut, dripping down his arm.

I stumbled back, tears stinging my eyes. I didn't want him to be doing this...he needed to stop. But I was still angry at him...right? It was him, wasn't it?

I noticed the cut healed quickly and I let out a breath of relief, hoping I didn't have to do it again. It still caused him pain.

"Again." Felix ordered. "On his face."

I trembled slightly, looking up again sternly, wearing a facade. "Cut yourself on the face." I sighed.

I noticed a tear strolled down his face and my hand literally reached for my chest.

He brought the knife slowly to his face and began to drag it across his face.

He took a deep breath, biting on his lip to stop him from expressing his pain in sound.

Oh God...I couldn't do this.

Suddenly I found myself screaming, I didn't know why. I just couldn't stop.

"No! No! No! Stop! No!" I screamed, holding my head in my hands, trembling and sobbing.

Jacob dropped the knife as the cut healed and he took a breath of relief.

"No! You can't make me do this! Jacob!" I choked out, collapsing to the ground.

"I told you we can't do this to her!" I heard Nahuel argue at someone...Felix?

"Wipe her of just the past half hour. We may have to give her more time." A dark voice said calmly, it wasn't Felix. I couldn't see anything, my eyes were blurred and my head was ringing. The only face I could see clearly was Jacobs. I reached out into blank space for him, I probably looked crazy right now.

What was going on?

It hurt.

I just wanted to forget.

And then, suddenly, I did.

* * *

**So I know not much happened in this chapter, and I know it was similar to the last. But trust me, this will progress. Hopefully. If you guys have any ideas to where the story should lead, also, let me know. I'd be happy to hear your opinions, and I might even use them. If I did, I'd be sure to credit you. :)**

**-Tay**


	3. Chapter 3: Made of stone

**DSAJDHSANDJ. I'm so sorry I have taken forever to update this. I've been so fucking busy lately, and I know I say that every time but yeah, well, I just do, okay! :3 But I have a plan, I have a 2 week break and I'm going to try and update this story, and hopefully my other one, as much as possible. Uh, also, just a warning, I'm pretty sure I've changed the present I am writing in this chapter. I haven't written properly in a while and I started trying to write in past-tense like my other chapters are written in and for some reason it didn't feel right. I think it's because I've just finished this series of books written in present-tense and I kinda adapted to that style of writing. I just liked the way it flowed. Don't hate me! I promise I'll write the rest of the story in this tense so as to not confuse you guys anymore.**

**And, without further adu, Chapter 3.**

* * *

**Nessie (Charlotte)**

Through the darkness I hear a noise. No, a voice. Soothing me, a cool hand stroking my forehead. The sensation is familiar, and I feel a pulsing urge to murmur out the word "Momma?" but the sensation leaves me almost as quickly as it came. My Mom is dead, my new family told me so. It couldn't be her. I don't even know what she looks like anymore, let alone what she sounds like.

I blink open my eyes, letting them adjust to the dim light of the room. My room, my memory tells me. I can't remember how I came to be in my bed, did I fall asleep?

"Did I fall asleep?" I repeat out loud to the woman stroking my head. She's one of the Volturi wives, Caius's, I think. She may be slightly gentler looking than the others, but her eyes are still a cold, sharp red. Unchanging, like the rest of her. I assumed, from her appearance, that she was probably turned around her late 20s. She is relatively young looking, but she has just a little too much maturity about her smile, or her eyes, to have been in her late-teens or early 20s. Her long, fair hair falls in wavy tresses down her shoulders as she reaches her arm out to the table beside the bed.

"Not exactly, you had a blackout, dear." She explains to me, calm, a little too detached to allow me to feel comforted, but I have to get used to it eventually. We are vampires, we are made of stone, we are not supposed to get attached, to show fear, to show compassion, especially to humans. It doesn't make sense, in a way. If we want to be a strong clan, shouldn't we create close bonds with each other? But I don't dare question it out loud. "Here. You need to regain your strength."

"A blackout?" I furrow my eyebrows as she holds the glass in front of me.

"We'll explain everything to you soon, but drink up first. We don't want you fainting on us again." She says simply, a small smile appearing across her thin lips.

I take the blood from her and bring it to my mouth, savouring every last drop. I didn't realise how thirsty I was until the blood hit my tongue, and then a fire blazed up inside my throat, as if gasoline was lingering there waiting to be set alight by a match. I gulp down the blood like it's the last blood on earth, wishing I could get at the red, liquid heaven on the bottom and sides of the glass. But I stop myself and set it down beside me.

The woman has left my side and she opens the door a crack, giving someone on the other side a small nod before opening the door and revealing someone who brings a smile to my face. I feel a little shot of happiness surge through me and I can't tell if it's the blood I just drank or Nahuel's face, but either way, I feel happy for a little moment. I feel…the same. The same as what is what I can't figure out.

"Hey." I smile a small grin.

"Hey." He murmurs back, and I swear I hear a little sigh in his response, but Nahuel always seems a little off.

"What time is it?" I suddenly ask.

"3pm." He replies.

I shake my head. "I swear just an hour ago I was-"

"You blacked out." He tells me curtly.

It annoys me that this seems to be all everyone is telling me. I get it, I blacked out. But why?

Nahuel seems to sense my annoyance, adding "Your memory problems seem to be causing you to black out sometimes."

I nod, gulping back the lump in my throat. I hate all this confusion. I hate it. I just want to know who I am, where the fuck I came from, what the fuck happened.

I have to lay down to keep myself from punching something, my fingernails digging into the sheets beside me.

"Uh…actually, Charlotte, your memory problems are what I'm here to talk to you about…" He seems to struggle getting the words out. I watch him, noticing how he's tapping his fingers against his jeans. I've only known Nahuel as long as I've been with The Volturi, but something tells me it's a nervous habit of his.

He perches himself on the end of my bed, clearing his throat.

"Do you know…well…why you have them?" He asks me.

I shake my head. "Not really." They've only told me that my parents died in a fire. They were attacked and then the house was set alight while their strength was down. I somehow escaped, but not before someone attacked me. Apparently when I was found my wounds were healed but I had blood all over my face. The Volturi took me in. I couldn't remember much of anything when I woke up.

"Well, uh, you know your parents died in a….fire." He says, as if to go over the story again, to remind me.

I nod.

"Well, the person who killed them was after you." He adds. I sit up this time, my eyes widening.

"What?" I choke out, hoarse, barely there.

"He was…obsessed with you. Wanted you all to himself. You fought back. He nearly had you but The Volturi stopped him and locked him away." The way Nahuel explains this to me is as if he is simply typing out dot-pointed facts, he's not looking me in the eyes. But his words still sink in like needles piercing through my flesh. My parents died because of me?

"His nickname for you was Nessie." He seems to blurt that fact out. As if he is risking saying this. I see a flicker of hope in his eyes as he glances down at me. It confuses me, as the story he is telling is supposed to be upsetting. I feel a slight piercing in my skull and I collapse back into the bed again, gasping for air. My body feels heavy and my head feels light.

"You know the prisoner? The one who does everything you say?" He asks me, but my mouth can't comprehend words at the moment for some reason so I simply nod. The prisoner. The one who fills me with something, a mixture of pain and relief. When I see him something opens up inside my chest, a hole waiting to be filled, and it never is, and then it hurts but I don't seem to care. The one I feel connected to. The one I don't like to hurt.

"It was him." As Nahuel spills the words out, I wonder, I hope, I have drifted back off to sleep, that I am only dreaming them. But I suddenly feel more awake then ever. Pain ricochets through me. I can't escape this nightmare. I want to cry, to scream out, but my throat feels dry. It couldn't be him. I don't want to believe it. But there is no other explanation for why I feel such a familiarity with him. As to why he is locked up. Suddenly the comfort I feel with him has turned to a disturbed storm inside my skull, the care I feel for him tears at my insides until it turns to utter hatred.

The pain is almost too much to bear. I feel as though I could die from it. I need to stop it. I should not care about this anymore, should not care about him, about anyone. I should turn to stone. And then suddenly, I do. I seem to have built a wall inside myself. I can hear the faint sounds of pain kicking at the wall, throwing their sticks at it, but I am strong. I am a vampire, I am made of stone, no one can break me.

I sit up, Nahuel is still there. The swirling in my brain has stopped, I feel cold even though my temperature is raised higher than a vampires or even a humans.

"Thank you for telling me." I say. And then I stand up, racing out of the room and down the hall to Alec's room.

There is another woman in there. She's human, the receptionist. I'm too pissed off and thirsty to care about the fact we'll have to find a new one, and I find myself delving into her veins before she has time to even turn around and look at me.

I hear the shower shut off as I let her body drop, wiping my mouth of her blood. It seems to have made the wall stronger, but also the pounding of my human self, the part of me that cares, louder. I fight back the tears. Statue's don't cry.

"Charlotte, you killed my fuck. Are you jealous?" Alec smirks at me, not even seeming to care about the dead body on the floor. I remind myself I shouldn't either, but I can't help remembering her muffled screams as I killed her. Wondering if she had family who loved and cared about her. Of course she did, there had to have been someone.

"Just shut up. Don't talk, please." I say as he walks over to me, about to add something else. I shut him up with a kiss. He doesn't seem to argue. Good. I need a distraction.

He slams me against the wall, causing the room to shudder against the weight of our bodies.

He tears off my clothes in no time at all, and I kick his towel off his body. I just need to feel good. This is as close as I can get to pleasure, to happiness, in this world. I was stupid to think I had found anything with the prisoner. We hadn't even spoken to each other in private, I had no idea who he was, and now I know I wish I'd never even met him at all. I never want to see him again, I hope he rots in that prison cell or gets devoured by hungry vampires. But even that won't amount to what he has taken from me. I hate him.

The more I hate, the more I kiss and bite and grasp at Alec. But the more I do so, the more I think of the prisoner, and I think of doing the same to him. Of kissing him angrily, hungrily, of biting down against his skin, not to kill him, but to simply hurt him a little in a midst of passion.

I feel hot tears streaming down my face at the pain crashing like waves against the wall I am trying so desperately to keep up. Luckily, by now, I am no longer facing Alec. I do not want him to see me like this. To see me weak. I don't want anyone to know how weak and broken I feel, especially that goddamn prisoner. I am stone, I am a statue. That is how I will stay. Forever.

* * *

**Nahuel**

One. Two. Three. HIT.

One. Two. Three. HIT HIT HIT.

I throw my punches at the leather bag, breaking holes in it. I don't even know what the point of this is, I could break it with one hit if I wanted to. But I'm saving that one for the last punch. For his face to appear in my brain. And when it does, I'll smash it to pieces. It makes me feel better temporarily for not being able to defeat him. To stop all of this from happening.

WHACK. That was to The Volturi.

SMACK. That was to Alec for using Nessie like a toy.

WHACK. That was for them calling her Charlotte, making me make her forget who she was.

SMACK. SMACK. WHACK. That was to myself. For succumbing to the control and making her forget.

WHACK. WHACK. WHACK. WHACK. More to myself. You monster. You prick. You coward.

I breath in and exhale deeply, feel the anger boil inside me, bubbling with hatred from every corner of my body, right at the core of my soul.

_That's right, I have a soul!_ I scream at him in my head, hitting the bag with my bare hand and splitting it in half, sending it flying across the room.

I let out an exasperated sigh and crouch down, my hair in my hands as tears sting my eyes. "I have a fucking soul." I whisper, to myself, indirectly to him.

_You don't! You're nothing without me! Nothing, you hear me! _ The memories tear through my head.

_"You have a soul? Fine. Prove it to me. Disobey me. I bet you can't. I know you can't" _His dark voice snarls at me, it's wickedness licking the air with a manic twist.

It's true, I couldn't. I can't disobey him. It's physically impossible, no matter how much I hate what he asks me to do. I'm tied, cursed, to him in the same way Jacob is to Nessie. Only Nessie is good, she loves Jacob, she broke through the barrier my power had set and remembered him, stopping herself from doing anymore evil. That was until he showed up and forced me to wipe her again. Forced me to feed her lies about Jacob, who she now despises. The one controlling me would have no sudden breakthrough and stop what he's doing like Nessie had previously, because he's aware of what he's doing, he is himself, through and through. He has no good in him, if there was any to begin with.

And so Nessie is back to being Charlotte and that cold, detached edge has returned to her dark brown eyes as she falls deeper and deeper into this life everyday. Although, at night, when she thinks no one is listening, I hear her cry. She cries into her pillows until there are no more tears and then she sleeps, waking up occasionally muffling a scream into the dark.

Sometimes, when she cries, I cry silently too. I listen to her begging sobs and her yearning and aching as she searches for something she can't find, thinks of something she can't remember. And it's all my fault. The tears are Nessie, trapped in her own brain, screaming into the darkness that she needs to remember.

Despite being a monster and being shun to darkness forever, I pray to God that Nessie will one day be strong enough to remember and that she will get out of this. I know she's capable, she just has to remember that.

"Wow….wouldn't want to be in your bad books." I hear a melodic, familiar giggle. Except it now has a seductive, confident, dark twinge about it. Not that it's a bad thing, it just isn't Nessie.

I hear her footsteps make their way over to me and I push my tears back into my eyes.

She picks up the busted leather punching bag and laughs at me as she pops her head in between the split I've made.

"What's up?" She asks, chucking the bag to the side and plopping down in front of me.

I smile softly at her as she blinks innocently at me. It reminds me of the days Nessie and I would just chat about random things, laughing, so carefree…

She's wearing a short, tight, black dress and some high heel boots which a pair of fishnet stockings disappear into. Around her neck is a necklace which has a V embedded on it. The Volturi cress. That's how she identifies herself now. One of them. To her, they are her family. If only she knew.

"Not much." I smile softly, looking to the side as my tears vanish.

She leans back, letting her long, reddish-brown hair fall over her shoulders as she looks at me in silence. It is as if she is analysing me, but not in a 'checking out' way, just curiously, in wonder.

"That's a lie." She murmurs, pursing her full lips at me.

"What?" I ask, looking up at her.

"There's a lot 'up' with you at the moment." She analyses.

"Mmm." I shrug, no longer looking her in the eyes.

"Don't worry. I won't ask you about it." She smiles, looking up at the roof as she shakes her feet about. "Just remember, it's okay not to be okay…." She says softly, almost to herself. It's times like these I'm not sure if she is remembering or not. If Nessie is talking.

She sighs, scratching her fishnet leg with the heel of her boot. "I'm so bored."

"Wanna do something fun?" I suggest, not really knowing what.

She glances up at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Yes!" She jumps up, twirling her arms at her side. "Come on, where to?"

I stand up slowly, facing her. "Um….I don't really know…I…" I stutter. I haven't really planned this, and there's not much to do in the castle.

She inches towards me, touching my shirt flirtatiously with her tiny hands. "Oh?" She raises an eyebrow. "That kind of fun?" She murmurs, raised up on her tiptoes, her mouth inches from mine, breathing onto each others faces.

I sigh, closing my eyes.

It's not that she isn't beautiful, or that I wouldn't want to…be with her if the circumstances were different. But it's the fact that they aren't different. I would only feel guilty, I can't use her when she's not even sure who she is anymore. She thinks she knows what she wants, but she doesn't. She uses sex as a distraction from the empty, hollow feeling I'd left in her brain and heart from my wiping. She wouldn't benefit from this, she'd only confuse herself more.

I feel her hands graze down my chest and near my waist.

"Charlotte, No-" I begin, only to have her place a finger swiftly to my lips.

"Shhh. Just go with it." She whispers.

"I don't want to go with anything." I try to pull her off me.

She grabs me roughly and slams me against the wall, twisting my wrists towards her. "Why don't you want me?" She hisses, forcing my hands down her curves. "Don't you want me, Nah?" She asks, her voice innocent again as she grazes herself against my jeans.

"Charlotte….I can't….please." I argue, trying to struggle out of her tight grip as she pins me against the wall with her bare hands.

She glares up at me, fuming.

"Fine." She hisses, pushing herself off me and running her hands through her hair. "Suit yourself."

She opens her mouth as if to say something, but then simply laughs in annoyance and begins to walk away.

"Wait! Charlotte!" I felt the N about to slip from my tongue but then realise my mistake.

She stops in her tracks, sighing. "What?" She calls back, not turning around.

"We can have fun without…having sex." I murmur.

She knows this. She's just in the mood for a distraction. I can read her better than she thinks. It's been a week since I told her the lies about Jacob because I was forced to. She's been a blank wall waiting to break ever since. I saw her put a sheet up over her feelings the afternoon I told her. I saw her chocolate brown eyes haze over. I know she went to Alec's room after that. He's a distraction to her. He doesn't ask questions, try to be her friend, get her to open up, he just fucks her and leaves. That's all the thinks she needs. But she also knows it's not enough. I know all this because I'm the one listening to her calling out at night, and sometimes I swear I catch her in moments no one else has in this place.

She spins around, it appears that tears were burning in her eyes. "How? What is there that we can do? There's nothing to do? We're just trapped here! This place is…life is so boring! Why do we have to live forever? Why can't…when can we-" I see her stop, biting back the word_ die._

It pains my fast-beating heart that she is having such thoughts so early in her eternal life. I have them all the time now, but I am 160 years old. She is barely 16.

A thought suddenly comes to me. "Have you ever seen Italy at night? " I ask curiously.

She shakes her head. "I'm not allowed out of the castle unsupervised." She shrugs, and I see the annoyance at that fact flash over her face.

I am unsure if I would be allowed to take her out of the castle, if I would count as adequate supervision or if it would be feared that I may run off with her. The idea fills me with such joy I nearly jump up and down, thinking I could do it, but then something else holds me back down to earth again. The command. I remember it.

_You are never to leave the borders of this city._

But that doesn't mean I can't explore the city.

"Well, now you have your supervision." I flash a playful smile at her and hold out my hand.

She stares at me for a moment, as if processing something inside, as though she is a machine filing something away. Then, suddenly, her face seems to light up and she grabs my hand eagerly, interlinking her small fingers with mine.

There is nothing sexual about the way she touches me then. It's simple, friendly, innocent. It sends flutters through my body. It was Nessie.

Although there is no rule against leaving the castle at night, or at any time, really, we still seem to sneak our way down to reception, passing the new receptionist quietly. She smiles curiously at us. The last one seemed to have gone missing last week, most probably killed.

Then, as we hit the end of the large hallway, I practically dance to the door and drag Nessie…well, Charlotte, along with me. I hear her carefree giggle behind me, it sends delight through my body.

Then we are out in the open air. Although there are windows in the castle, both of us seem to be taking big gulps of the night air, as though it is different. And in a way, it is. It is free air, away from the confinements of the castle, from all the pain, and the death and the prison cells downstairs. It is freedom.

Nessie-I've decided to think of her as that tonight-lets go of my hand and runs down the stairs, spinning around the fountain in front of the clocktower, lifting her face and smiling as the water sprays at her a little. She sighs a breath of what seems like relief, as though weights are lifting off her shoulders.

At one point she looks back and smiles at me with such a beautiful expression that I think I might fall over. I've always secretly felt something for Nessie, although I knew she was destined to be with Jacob. He deserves her too. I've done nothing to deserve her. Wiping her of her memories and helping these bastards make her believe she should be someone else didn't exactly earn me the right to have her heart. But she has mine. I can't stop that. Even now, as she acts differently, I still see my friend, Nessie. It's still her in there, and I still love her.

I make my way down to her and she suddenly splashes me playfully with some water from the fountain, giggling. She squeals as I try to do the same to her, racing down the street a little more, towards the lights and music that drift from the main square.

I hurry down next to her and she jumps up on my back, ordering me to piggy back her down the street, her laugh echoing in my ear, her breath hot on my neck. It sends tingles through me. I used to carry her like this sometimes, but somehow this feels a little different.

I feel her slide off my back as we enter into a huge, light-filled, lively section of Volterra.

Her arms stay wrapped around my arm as we walk into the place. I can tell we're both in awe. I may have been alive a long time, I may have seen the Seven Wonders of the World more than seven times, stood atop the largest buildings in the world and looked down at the glittering city below, but something about the atmosphere in this small, Tuscan town fills me with something I don't think I've ever experienced before. Perhaps it's because the music and the buzzing of voices from restaurants and from the square, is harmonised by Nessie's laughing of wonder and joy.

"Beautiful." She suddenly says. I glance down at her face and my heart flutters faster than it already does as she soaks in the light and the music and the people. Things she has never actually experienced before. Yes, she has heard music, she has seen people, crowds and lights, but Renesmee spent a majority of her 15 years in Forks. You don't get to see that much in Forks and it's bordering towns. This would be a new experience both to Nessie and Charlotte. The thought makes me smile wider.

We spend a little while just walking around the square, her arm linked through mine. We look like a couple enjoying Italy together, going on a romantic walk after dinner. I try to push the thought away, but I can't help from letting a smile creep across my lips.

"Why won't they let me come out and see this?" She wonders aloud.

Her question lowers the mood suddenly, but I was stupid to think I could stay happy forever. I don't deserve that.

"They think you'll run away." I reply.

She doesn't answer straight away. She doesn't have to, I know what she's thinking. She's thinking that they are probably right to think that. I know Nessie, at least, would want to run away, if not Charlotte.

Her eyes remain straight ahead. "Oh." She simply says.

A busker in the street stops us suddenly, grinning, a tooth missing, moustache and all. His accent is strong as he grins "You and your lady, you dance." He nods, encouraging us as he begins to play a song. I recognise it instantly as _That's Amore_, laughing. How typical. Nessie seems to furrow her eyebrows a little as if she recognises it. I know she would, everyone has heard this song at least once. Charlotte wouldn't know it, but Nessie would.

"May I have this dance?" I ask, bowing down a little as I hold my hand out to her. It's funny to remember how this was once a way of asking 'Can I have your number', and I was there. I courted ladies this way. Never intending to marry, of course, how could I? But if I spotted an attractive lady, I would ask her for a dance and it scored me a few lays. I know women in those days, according to history books, were supposed to be fragile and frigid and conservative, but that is far from the truth. Some were even wilder than some women today.

Nessie laughs a little, the smile, much to my delight, meeting her eyes for the first time in a while, before taking my hand. "Of course." She begins to play along, smiling still. I smirk fingers interlink and my other hand finds her small waist while hers touches my shoulder. Eventually she nestles her head into my chest as the music carries our dance, sighing contently. I sing the words softly into her hair and suddenly she looks up and asks.

"What's Amore?" She inquires.

"Love." I respond, my eyes not leaving hers. There is something about this closeness between us, this moment, where I don't feel nervous anymore, I kind of wish she knew how I felt.

I see something flash inside them, I'm unsure what, but she rests her head back down on my chest before I have more time to try and figure it out.

* * *

**So, yes, what do you think? I've actually just recently had a huge rush of muse after reading these books called Delirium and Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (seriously, they are amazing, check them out!) so I think I may even write the next chapter later tonight or tomorrow. I dunno, but it will be up soon.**

-**Tay**


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